THE 2017 Foster’s Golden Cue has attracted a record entry and champion Jonny Clark will begin the defence of his title with a tasty clash against old foe Andy Dibb.

Clark, who lifted the Large Table crown and then won a trilling Grand Final showdown against Jimmy Waddington, was on hand to make the draw for both competitions at Ighten Leigh Social Club

“I’m chuffed to bits with the entry, it is fantastic for the competition and for snooker locally,” said the secretary of the Golden Cue competition Neil McGovern.

“I can think of a time not too long ago when we struggled for numbers, but we’ve had to turn people away this year because so many wanted to play in the competition.”

Last year, Golden Cue chiefs opened up the entry list to players from the Blackburn area too.

“We’ve a very strong entry from the Ribble Valley, Clitheroe, Chatburn and Waddington, and even a couple of players from the Skipton area, so the competition, thankfully, is flourishing.”

He added: “I’d also like to thank our sponsors Fosters, who have backed us for so long.”

Fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of Clark locking horns with Ighten Leigh Social Club ace Dibb, when the pair lock horns on Clark’s home turf at Oswaldtwistle Conservative Club.

“I think that’s the tie of the round for many and there will be a big crowd to see that match because they are two very fine players indeed,” added Neil.

Other highlights in the Large Table opener include last year’s beaten finalist Paul Selby, who will face Carl Davies.

And losing semi-finalists in 2016, Haider Ali and Stephen Croft, will both be hoping to go one better this year as they take on Howard Murtaugh and Joe Reger respectively.

Small Table champion Jimmy Waddington will open up against Mark Danczuk while last year’s beaten finalist Kev Catlow will play Ady Harris.

Marc Holmes and Chris Lawson, both Small Table semi-finalists last year, have been drawn against Jon Cant and Craig McKavett.

All ties have to be played by the weekend of March 18-19.

Draw

Small table:

Neil Payton (St.Andrews Bc) v Paul Averill (St Andrews), Alec Gilmour (Ighten Leigh) v Jamie Lingard (Ighten Leigh), Ammi Dippolitto (Feniscowles Ssc) v Jamie Southern (Ighten Leigh), Cairns Andy (Alexandra) v Harry Ingham (Burnley Miners),

Charlie Docherty (Paradise Wmc) v Daniel Meeks (Nelson Dressers), Dan Heald (Clitheroe Social) v Peter Mercer (Low Moor), Darren Cregg (St.Andrews Bc) v Chris Durkin (Ighten Leigh), Eric Catlow (Paradise Wmc) v Chris O'brien (Ighten Leigh), Gary Simkin (Clitheroe Social) v Tony Greenwood (Ighten Leigh), Jamie Ramsbottom (Ighten Leigh) v Sam Shepherd (Shorthomers), Jon Cant (Lamb Club) v Marc Holmes (Low Moor), Keith Nyari (Worsthorne Social Club) v Tony Kelso (Worsthorne), Lee Graves (Briercliffe Wmc) v Brad Southern (Ighten Leigh), Neil Mcgovern (Ighten Leigh) v Peter Worthington (Ighten Leigh), Scott Brodie (Ighten Leigh) v Graham Howard (Shorthomers), Wayne Cotterill (Paradise Wmc) v Gaz Hampson (Rishton Con), Ady Harris (Ighten Leigh) v Kev Catlow (Ighten Leigh), Brian Collinge (Briercliffe Wmc) v Kevin Hodkinson (Old Band), Chris Lawson (Rishton Con) v Craig McKavett (Old Band), Craig Steele (Rishton Con) v Craig Hughes (St Andrews), Lee Cooper (Shorthomers) v Kez Toye (Ighten Leigh), Mark Danczuk (Ighten Leigh) v Jimmy Waddington (Low Moor), Mark Riley (Clitheroe Rbl) v Peter Doyle (Colne SC), Martin Large (Molly Rigby's) v Stephen Horsfield (Clitheroe SC), Andy Bates (Lamb Club) v Steven Tandy (Low Moor), Carl Revill (Dressers) v Steve Brown (Ighten Leigh), Danny Horgan (Paradise Wmc) v Dean Walmsley (Clitheroe RBL), David Walmesley (Clitheroe Rbl) v Tom Mawdsley (Darwen GC), Josh Stevenson (Ighten Leigh) v Lee Steele (Rishton Con), Lee Sharples (St.Andrews Bc) v Keith Ormerod Jnr (Alex), Nathan Jeffries (Clitheroe Social) v Tony Ashworth (Ighten Leigh), Shaun Pendlebury (Rishton Con) v Matt Kayley (Ighten Leigh).

Large table:

Chris Ashton (Burnley Sc) v Aiden Forrest (Rosegrove Unity), Howard Murtaugh (Lowerhouse Canteen) v Haider Ali (Pot Black), James Fowler (Clitheroe Con) v Mark Salmon (Colne Legion), Jonothan Clark (Oswaldtwistle Con) v Andy Dibb (Ighten Leigh), Lee Edmondson (Ighten Leigh) v John Lanceley (Alex), Lewis Keen (Oswaldtwistle Con) v Phil Wright (Rosegrove Unity), Luke Austin (Rosegrove Unity) v John Gibson (Billington Band), Carl Davies (Rosegrove Unity) v Paul Selby (Unity), Darren Cox (Ighten Leigh) v Nik Kershaw (Rosegrove Unity), Dave Bannister (Burnley Gc) v Dom Emery (Colne SC), Jack Dady (Poplar) v Ben Hyatt (KSC), Jack Sanderson (Lowerhouse Canteen) v Sam Dean (Waddington SC), Lee Bannister (Colne Sc) v Jake Loftus (Hoddlesden Con), Paul Clark (Chatburn) v Oliver Crooks (Chatburn), Peter Cliffe (Rosegrove Unity) v John Snape (Hoddlesden Con), Russel Large (Poplar) v Mick Green (Ighten Leigh), Steve Hargreaves (Lowerhouse Canteen) v Martin Eyles (Strategy), Alex Brunker (Chatburn) v Cedric Ullette (Colne SC), Dave Howe (Beaconsfield Con) v Keiron Keough (Waddington SC), Joe Reger (Rolls Royce) v Stephen Croft (Hollins Grove)

Kev Sunderland (Ighten Leigh) v Josh Foster, Scott Clarkson (Earby Con) v Lewis Ullah, Ashley Ross (Colne Sc) v Jon Moorhead,

Carl Drinkwater (Billington Bb) v Rob Barker, Dan Paton (Rolls Royce) v Rob Grant, Dean Emmott (Colne Legion) v Ben Worthington, Mark Wilkinson (Ighten Leigh) v Gaz Ingham, Simon Blackwell (British Rail) v Roy Ellis, Tony Arnott (Colne Legion) v Paul Thompson, Andy Goody (Ighten Leigh) v Farakh Ajaib, Shahbaz Rashid (Colne Sc) v Steve Ashworth, Trevor Sutcliffe (Ighten Leigh) v Barry Sutcliffe.